BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUTS

Celebs with #birthdays today: One Direction singer Harry Styles, Michael C. Hall, Pauly Shore, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Terry Jones

#HappyBirthday to Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis's little girl turns 45 today.

GAS PRICES: Spring Surge Comes Early

Spring is still weeks away, but you wouldn't know it from the prices at your local gas station. Gas prices, which traditionally rise in spring, are already moving up while we're still in winter.

In just the last two weeks the average retail price of gas in the U.S. rose 13 cents and it looks like we'll see record highs for this time of year in the next few days.

What's causing the prices to jump? Many refineries are undergoing maintenance, so that's slowing their output and lowering the supply of gasoline.

Source: AP

COMPUTER HACKING: "Anti-Virus Software Alone Isn't Enough"

Symantec, the world's biggest anti-virus software maker, says that your computer might not be safe, even if you're running their program.

After it was reported that The New York Times, a Symantec customer, had their computer networks repeatedly breached by Chinese hackers, Symantec issued a statement Thursday that said "anti-virus software alone is not enough."

Symantec said that other technologies are also needed to halt an attack like the one that hit the Times. The problem is that anti-virus software is only effective at blocking the malicious attacks that it's seen before, but if one line of code is changed, it may not recognize the the virus.

Source: Bloomberg

KARA DIOGUARDI: Welcomes Son

Kara DioGuardi is a mom.

The former American Idol judge and her husband, Mike McCuddy, welcomed a son on Thursday via gestational surrogate. Kara recently told People magazine that their surrogate has “given us an incredible gift.”

They named the boy Greyson James Carroll McCuddy.

TRENDING NOW

Dan Marino’s mistress, Chuck Hagel’s bad day and “Senator” Geraldo Rivera are trending on Twitter and Google.

• Geraldo Rivera: He says he’s considering a run for a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey in 2014.
• Donna Savattere: She's Dan Marino’s mistress.
• Chuck Hagel: It's been a rocky confirmation process for the likely future secretary of defense.
• David Beckham: Say goodbye to Hollywood. After recently finishing a six-year stint with the Galaxy, the 37-year-old inked a five-month deal with Paris Saint-Germain. He's giving his salary to charity.
• Caleb Moore: The extreme-sports world has been blowing up Twitter in the wake of the death of the 25-year-old snowmobiler at the X Games.
• Rudy Gay: The Grizzlies traded their leading scorer to Toronto in a deal that brings Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye and Ed Davis to Memphis.
• Phil Mickelson: He had a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole at Thursday's TPC Scottsdale that would have given him the sixth 59 in PGA Tour history. The ball curled around the hole, but didn't go in.

TOP CELEBRITY TWEETS

Dan Marino’s monkey business tops celebrity tweets.

• Jimmy Fallon: "This weekend is Super Bowl and Groundhog Day. But this year, if the groundhog sees his shadow it means six more kids for Dan Marino."
• Mario Lopez: "Thinking about the Dan Marino situation. Isn't the term 'Love Child' sort of ironic?"
• Paris Hilton: "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
• Bette Midler: "Polls show 75-percent of the population do not trust the government, but 90-percent of those up for re-election were re-elected."
• Sarah Silverman: "My dog is exactly as heartbreaking as a PIXAR movie."
• Rob Lowe: "Sad to say goodbye to 30 Rock. Tina, Alec, Tracy and company are geniuses. No show has made me laugh more."
• Dane Cook: "If you love a girl show her by giving her a donkey hug."
• Lisa Lampanelli: "71 yr-old Connecticut woman arrested for prostitution. Good to know that I have 20 years before that headline could be about me."
• Donald Trump: “The real estate market in Vietnam is booming. Growth is everywhere in the world, except for the U.S.”

SUPER BOWL: Sunday's Celebrity Commercials

Amy Poehler, The Rock, Kaley Cuoco, Tracy Morgan and Willem Defoe are some of the big names we’ll see in Super Bowl commercials.

• Amy Poehler drops by Best Buy to ask of a Samsung tablet, "How many hilarious movies starring me will this play before running out of juice?"
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson dons a milk mustache in an action-flick send-up for Got Milk?
• 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan pitches for the sports drink MiO Fit.
• Beyonce’s halftime show is preceded by a Pepsi spot featuring around 1,000 fan-submitted photos that form the image of one person jumping to her song “Countdown.”
• The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco plays Toyota's wish-granting genie. She keeps conjuring up miserable results for a regular guy.
• You’ve probably seen Kate Upton’s slow-motion car washing in denim cutoffs for Mercedes-Benz.
• Korean pop star Psy dons a pistachio suit to go Gangnam-style for Paramount Farms pistachios.
• Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana is joined by his old 49ers teammate Ronnie Lott to tackle a football thief.
• Willem Defoe is a devil looking to buy a soul in exchange for a Mercedes to the tune of "Sympathy for the Devil," with appearances by Usher and Kate Upton.

SUPER BOWL: Ravens Cheerleader Benched for Weight Gain   

A Baltimore Ravens cheerleader says she's been benched from the Super Bowl because she gained a few pounds. 

Twenty-three-year-old Courtney Lenz has spent five seasons with the Ravens and she expected to join the team in New Orleans for the Super Bowl. NFL rules say that only 32 members of the Ravens 60-woman cheer squad can perform in Sunday's game, but Lenz thought he'd make the cut because she has seniority and all the women with more than three years with the team made the cut, except for Courtney.

She claims it's because she gained 1.4 pounds during the season, putting her weight at more than 125 pounds, while the team wanted her to get down to 120.

A Ravens spokeswoman said in a statement, "Our selection process was based upon three criteria: seniority, performance ability and personal conduct throughout the season. As much as we would like to take the whole team, we are unable to do so, due to parameters set by the NFL."

Courtney's supporters have started an online petition and a Facebook page to right the "injustice." As of Thursday afternoon, it had 25,000 signatures while the Facebook page had more than 5,000 "likes."

Source: USA Today

We have all kinds of social networks designed to flirt with people online, but now there’s a new way to hook up online –and it takes flirting to a new level.

It’s a website called Bang With Friends.

What this little gem does is “discreetly inform your Facebook contacts whether or not you would like to have sex with them.”

If the other party is “DTF,” as the kids say, you will both be notified and the seedy debauchery can begin. (Slate)
 

49ERS FANDOM

With the Super Bowl just days away, many people are taking to Facebook and professing their unwavering love for their favorite football team.

But the love isn’t exactly spread evenly across the board.

Online research shows that love for the 49’ers CRUSHES any love fans have for the Ravens.

So if you’re rooting for Baltimore this weekend, send them some extra love. Because, according to Facebook stats, they’re gonna need it! (Slate)

EYE GAZERS

The new trend in dating is called eye gazing parties and it’s exactly what it sounds like.

How it works is this: After a quick lesson on the art of giving someone “the eye,” men and women divide up into pairs and stare each other down for two minutes without speaking.

For the next 45 minutes, the pairs switch up until that part of the evening is over and everyone gets together to chat and exchange information. (Eye Gazing Parties)
 

KIM KARDASHIAN ALREADY PLANNING POST-BABY LIPO

Even though her baby bump is barely visible, rumor has it that Kim Kardashian is already planning post-baby plastic surgery to get her figure back. Scoff all you want, but post-baby lipo is big business, and not just for celebs! Plastic surgeons recommend waiting a few months before the procedure, but it is very common for women to schedule lipo before baby even arrives to help get rid of the dreaded pregnancy pooch! (TheStir)

SURVEY: How Men and Women View Chemistry

According to a survey, 97 percent of men will call a woman within 72 hours to arrange a second date when he thinks there's chemistry – and 68 percent of men will not waste their time on a second date when there is no chemistry.

The survey also found that 56 percent of women WILL go on a second date and hope chemistry develops. (TopCultured.com)

SUPER BOWL: The Game Will Be Broadcast Everywhere … Even in Submarines

Everyone knows that the Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in America, drawing the biggest audience of any broadcast of the year.

And, it doesn’t matter if you’re sitting at home in your living room – or a soldier deployed overseas – or UNDER the sea – as the game will be available to sailors in submarines.

The military will use the very same advanced technology used to pass classified video feeds to make sure everyone on ships and submarines in the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean and Persian Gulf can see the game.

Even remote outposts in Afghanistan will receive the transmission.

Considering these men and women are putting themselves in harm’s way for all of our benefit, it’s great to know they’re with us – at least in spirit – as we tune in for the big game.

SUPER BOWL: Taco Bell Wants Employees to Tweet Their Commercial

Taco Bell spent $4 million on its 60-second ad that will be seen during Sunday's Super Bowl.

And, in an effort to get the biggest bang for its buck, the company is asking its 150,000 employees to tweet and Facebook it to their friends.

On one hand, it’s a chance for all those employees to do something fun and be a part of the Super Bowl madness.

On the other hand, Taco Bell is crossing a line, asking employees to do something in their personal lives that benefits the company. (MSN.com)

STUDY: Smoking Cigarettes Makes Hangovers Worse

If you’re going to party hard this Sunday while watching the Super Bowl, you might want to pick up your drink – but not pick up your cigarettes.

A new study shows that that smoking cigarettes will increase your next day’s hangover.

Researchers found that people who drank heavily while smoking were more likely to have hangovers the following day than those who just drank heavily.

The reason for the extra painful hangover is a chemical found in tobacco smoke that your body also creates when you booze it up.

You’re looking at a double-whammy as your body needs to clean out all the poisons from the alcohol – as well as the poisons from the smoke.

SUPER BOWL: The Fastest Super Bowl Party Foods

You procrastinated getting ready for your Super Bowl party didn’t you?

And now, you’re scrambling to get ready.

Don’t worry. There’s still hope. And, your guests will get more than just a bunch of chips and dip.

Here are some of the fastest Super Bowl party foods you can make:

• Baked Buffalo Wings – Just dip the wings in hot sauce and spices and bake them for 45 minutes.
   
• Chili – A hot pot, some beans, veggies, and ground beef and you’re golden.
   
• Baked Beans – Just dump the cans of beans in a serving dish. Doll them up with bacon or sausage crumbles if you have time.
   
• Beer and Cheese Dip – It’s just melted cheddar cheese, onion and a can of beer. (MadeMan.com)

SUPER BOWL: A 30-Seconds Ad Costs $4 Million

The Super Bowl is big business, and companies that advertise during the "big game" throw down some serious coin. Let's face it – this may be the one television event that viewers watch live and choose not to fast forward through the ads. The price of each ad varies, depending on  packages purchased, but, on average, a 30-second spot costs about $4 million! They better be some pretty awesome ads! (BleacherReport)

WEIRD NEWS: Humpty Dummy

A South Carolina man is in hot water after biting the hand that helped him – not to mention punching it, kicking it and threatening to kill it.

Patrick Francis Bonner faces several charges after he assaulted a police officer who tried to help him get up after he drunkenly fell into a decorative flower pot outside a bar. Bonner was spotted staggering down the street by A.J. Powell, an off-duty cop who was moonlighting as a security guard. Powell asked Bonner to have a seat while a taxi was called to take him home, and the man initially agreed, but fell into the planter and became combative.

As Powell helped him to his feet, Bonner tried to land several punches, but was too wasted to land any – and simply started shouting racial epithets at the officer, screaming "I will put a bullet in your head ... I hate you." (Charleston Post and Courier)

SUPER BOWL: A Religious Alternative to the Beyonce Half-Time Show

The Super Bowl Half-Time Show may be broadcast on network TV, but that doesn't mean its necessarily suitable for family viewing. Remember the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction? Or how about MIA flipping the bird to all of America?

All this controversy has religious leaders seeking a wholesome alternative to the traditional half-time show. If you are looking for a little religion instead of Beyonce's highly anticipated performance, check out the Catholic TV "Faith Bowl" or Yeshiva University's "Torrah Super Bowl Half-Time Show" for some faith based teachings. Or, there's always the Puppy Bowl. (HuffingtonPost)

BEYONCE: Her Lips Won't Synch This Time   

Beyonce has given the world her word that she'll "absolutely" be singing live when she takes the stage Sunday at halftime of Super Bowl 47 -- and sang the national anthem live at a press conference called to make that announcement.

Bey admitted she did, in fact lip-synch the song at President Obama's inauguration two weeks ago. She defended the action, calling herself "a perfectionist" and saying "I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra. It was a live television show... Due to the weather, due to the delay, due to no proper sound check... I did not feel comfortable singing live."

Then she asked the assembled press to stand and proved she could indeed sing the anthem without any accompaniment. At the end, she asked if there were any questions, and had a good laugh about it.

RELATIONSHIPS: Should You Get Back With Your Ex?

Getting back together with an ex isn't always a great idea, but it's easy to do – there is a familiarity and comfort there. But before you consider going down the road of reconciliation, seriously consider the following:

• What is your motivation? Are you getting back with an ex because you are lonely and you miss having someone? If the answer is yes - DO NOT TAKE HIM BACK! It's not fair to you or him to be with someone just to pass the time until something better comes along.
   
• Why did you break up? If the reason for the breakup is still a problem for each of you – the relationship isn't going to work. The problems will just resurface and cause more heartache. If the circumstances have changed, or your feelings about the issues have changed, then a reconciliation could be possible.
   
• Did you give yourself enough time to get over him? The desire to get back with an ex is the strongest right after a breakup. Take time to be single or date someone else before you decide you want to try again with your ex.
   
• You will have to start over. Trying again with an ex is not an invitation to pick up where you left off. You have to start the whole dating process over again as if it was a new relationship! If you jump right back in, you are both likely to make the same mistakes and go through the same problems. (Gurl)

TRACY MORGAN: Fourth Child on the Way

We know what Tracy Morgan will be doing now that 30 Rock has ended -- changing diapers! 

Tracy and his fiancée, model Megan Wollover, are expecting their first child together. He tells People magazine, "I am over-the-moon excited and just want a happy and healthy baby and a safe delivery for Megan." The 44-year-old has three grown sons from a previous relationship. 

30 Rock ends its seven year run tonight (Thursday). Tracy's co-star Alec Baldwin is also rumored to be expecting a baby with his new wife.

JOHN MAYER: Will Always Worry About Voice

John Mayer says he'll always worry about his vocal cords after two surgeries to remove a granuloma. He tells Rolling Stone that his doctors said "cancer would have been easier to get rid of."

Mayer adds that he's still learning how to use his voice. He says, "My laugh changed. The way I used to laugh is kind of like that "I'm embarrassed," high-pitched laugh. I don't really laugh that way anymore. I've found new ways around everything -- new ways to talk, new ways to laugh. Now I wonder if I can go right back to the shape of my voice that I had when I was singing once I can do what I want to do with it."

WEIRD NEWS: A Not-So-Golden Ticket

You want to be dealt four of a kind at the poker table, but not on the highway – as a South Dakota woman discovered when she racked up four speeding tickets in three hours ... one of them for driving 112 miles per hour!

Lorretta Lacy was clocked at 112 by a trooper who pulled her over, wrote the ticket and confiscated "a very, very small amount" of marijuana before sending her on her way. Lacy explained that she was in a hurry to get to an event, which may explain why she was stopped again just 20 miles later, this time stopping the radar gun at 99.

Less than an hour later, she racked up two more tickets within a 10 mile span, but only managed to push the speedometer to 88 on both of those. Lacy's daughter, Carrie Freeman, said she isn't sure whether her mother has a problem with getting speeding tickets, but added, "I know she can make it from A to B faster than probably the average person." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

WEIRD NEWS: Cocaine Used in 4th Grade Science Project

An ounce of cocaine can go for as much as $1,300 on the streets of Miami – or it can help a fourth-grader win first place in the science fair at Coral Gables Preparatory Academy.

Emma Bartelt’s “Drug Sniffing Dogs” project earned her a spot at Saturday’s Miami-Dade County Public Schools Elementary Science Fair, where she won honorable mention. Like a lot of kids, she had help. But her assist came from dad, a detective with the Miami-Dade Police Narcotics Bureau. They provided three drug-sniffing dogs and 28 grams of cocaine for her experiment.

The 10-year-old wrote, “The purpose for this scientific investigation was to find which dog would find the cocaine fastest using its sense of smell.” The winner was Franky, a retired dog who sniffed out the drugs in 43 seconds. (The Miami Herald)

SERIAL KILLER KITTIES: American Cats Kill Billions of Animals Each Year

Attention all cat owners in America: A new study shows you’re living with a serial killer. The new report comes from the Smithsonian and the Fish and Wildlife Service, which claim that American domestic and feral cats kill on average about 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals per year.

Breaking it down: the average human blinks eight million times per year. So, every time you blink, about 1,875 animals meet an untimely death by kitties in America. (Outside Online)

WEIRD NEWS: Put That In Your Pipe and...

A Nebraska man saw a pipe dream go up in smoke when he called cops to report that armed men had stolen his hookahs – only to have officers arrest him instead, on charges of marijuana possession.

Danar Hasaan phoned police to say that two men had forced their way into his apartment with guns drawn in order to steal the two pipes, valued at about 35 bucks. As the cops were taking his report, they saw pot, fertilizer and other paraphernalia lying around, and noticed a padlocked room with extension cords leading into it.

Upon further exploration, that turned out to be a "grow room," with several pot plants and an array of lights and irrigation devices – worth far more than the $35 pipes that Hasaan had reported stolen. (Lincoln Journal Star)

WEIRD NEWS: That's Not Baby Powder!

A pair of women from the Bronx probably didn't feel too pampered as they were hauled out of a New York City airport after customs officials discovered both were wearing adult diapers stuffed with cocaine.

Priscilla Pena was pulled off to the side after a drug-sniffing dog showed unusual interest. Security officers searched her luggage and found nothing wrong, but noted that she seemed "extremely nervous." When a pat-down showed an odd bulge in her nether regions, she was subjected to a strip search that revealed the diaper ... and about three kilos of coke.

Her traveling partner, Michelle Blassingale, was also searched and found to be wearing a similar undergarment with roughly the same amount of the drug.

What kind of sentence will the crime net? It ... depends. (WCBS)

TAYLOR SWIFT: Still Crying Over Harry?

Taylor Swift is apparently still reeling over her split with Harry Styles.

A so-called source tells Star magazine, “She can’t snap out of it. Taylor is putting on a brave face to the public, but she is a complete mess.”

And the source says that Tina Fey's jokes at the Golden Globes -- about Taylor dating younger men -- didn't help. “It breaks her heart to be made fun of so publicly, especially because her fans are starting to join in on the backlash. But she’s putting herself in this position by dating so many high-profile guys and writing about them afterward.” 

X-GAMES: Snowmobiler Dies

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened -- snowmobiler Caleb Moore has died after a horrific X-Games accident last week.

Moore was competing in the snowmobile freestyle event when his vehicle flipped over and pinned him. He suffered a severe concussion and bleeding of the heart, and the family says complications from those injuries caused his death this morning in Colorado.

ESPN hasn't given any indication that it plans to cancel any snowmobile events. A statement says, "We've worked closely on safety issues with athletes, course designers and other experts for each of the 18 years of X Games. Still, when the world's best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain."

Source: TMZ

KELLY CLARKSON: Banking Idol

American Idol is still paying off for Kelly Clarkson, who once again out-earned all of her fellow winners last year -- to the tune of $8 million.

Kel's cash came from record sales, tours and a lucrative deal promoting Toyota cars. She outdistanced Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry, each of whom brought in about $5 million, and Scotty McCreery, who earned about $4 million.

Some Idol champs didn't fare so well: Taylor Hicks and Kris Allen didn't crack the Top 10 in earnings, even though lower finishers in their championship years did.

Forbes' Top 10 American Idol earners are:

• Kelly Clarkson ($8 million )
• Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry ($5 million)
• Scotty McCreery ($4 million)
• Jennifer Hudson ($3 million)
• Jordin Sparks ($2 million)
• Adam Lambert ($1.5 million)
• Katharine McPhee and Kellie Pickler ($1.1 million)
• David Archuleta and David Cook ($1 million)

LADY GAGA: Get in the Ring!

A singer who once challenged Lady Gaga to a televised sing-off has thrown down the gauntlet again -- this time offering to meet the Mother Monster in a winner-take-all boxing match for $1 million.

Alisa Alps made her initial offer for a singing competition last year, but Gaga never responded, so she's at it again -- and she says she has the people on her side. Alps says, "Over the past few months, thousands of people have contacted me via my E-mail and social media sites expressing their anger about Lady Gaga glorifying suicide, and drug use, and in addition, stealing from and copying other artists. Millions of people want me to stop her. Frankly, they want to see me to knock her out cold on live television. It is a fight that I very much want. Lady Gaga I'm calling you out. Stop ducking me and let's fight."

TYLER PERRY: Overwhelms Oprah

How big was the floral arrangement that Tyler Perry sent Oprah for her 59th birthday? So big that Oprah actually hurt her back trying to lift it.

Tyler delivered the news on Facebook, where he wrote, “I like to send really large flower arrangements to people for whatever occasion. Well, I sent one to Oprah yesterday for her birthday. She strained her back picking it up. No joke!”

Perry wrapped up the message by saying, "Sorry. Next year I’m sending her one rose.”

Source: Us Weekly

The Angles:

• What a humblebrag! Don't know what a humblebrag is? Read this: es.pn/U2FOy1
• Why don't Tyler and Oprah just get married already? 
• Sure you're going to send her one rose next year, Tyler. 

RINGO STARR: He's a Powerpuff Girl!

Ringo Starr is headed back to toon town -- to create an original song for a new Powerpuff Girls TV special.

The track, "I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl," will serve as the theme for the one-off show, which will return the long-running cartoon to the air after an eight-year absence. Ringo will also provide the voice of a character named Fibonacci Sequins, who is described as "Townsville's most famous flamboyant mathematician."

Besides the classic Yellow Submarine, Ringo's previous visits to the animated world include stints on Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Courage the Cowardly Dog.